How to stop living on pause: an example and an action plan

How to stop living on pause: an example and an action plan

Lyubov Rudnytska, a Gestalt therapist and author of the Supportive Environment and Plan B projects, tells Woman Magazine readers how to stop living on pause and putting off their desires for later. 

Lyubov Rudnytska

Our psyche is designed in such a way that we like to plan, and now in January after the holidays is the best opportunity to do so. I urge everyone to stop living on pause, start adapting and use the circumstances as an impetus for change.

In the first days of the war, I used my surroundings, namely my friend Oksana, who fled Donetsk in 2014 because of the war, as inspiration. She cried over her past life for about six months, and then said to herself: “You are alive, you have a child, time is running out and you have to act.” By February 2022, Oksana had built a successful business in Kyiv, and her daughter had been studying abroad for a year. The war knocked on her door again, but Oksana decided to rebuild her life right away rather than waste time.

To help you stop living on pause, I have prepared a small list of tips:

1. Do not read news and gossip. Communicate about business, clear your information field of military analysts, and subscribe to specialized experts.

2. Everyone should have a plan. Write down all the goals you want to achieve. 

3. Write down small steps to achieve your dream.

4. 4. Move on with your life. It is important not to be a victim and allow yourself to live. Buy yourself a dress, go to the hairdresser, start exercising.

5. If it’s hard, stop and talk through your fears. Share your emotions with your loved ones or come for counseling.

It’s important to realize that not only the world has changed, but we have changed as well.  I give more information on each of the items on the checklist on my Instagram.

Text and photos: Liubov Rudnytska